| The action starts at daybreak. | |
Carol supervised the cold inflation with the fan.
| The pilot is Art Lites with the black baseball cap. His favorite saying is there are bold pilots and old pilots but there are no old bold pilots. |  |
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Interior view. The black center is called the parachute due to its shape. It is connected to the rest of the envelope with small velcro tabs and a yank on the emergency descent rope will pull the parachute down away from the envelope and cause a very rapid descent. Normal descents are accomplished by simply waiting for the hot air in the balloon to cool down. |
The propane burner in action. |
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The first passengers have climbed out after their ride and I have gotten in the gondola for my turn. The crew is only paid by getting rides. |
Up and away. I am waving with one hand and have the radio in the other. We have experimented with various radios, CB, FRS and GMRS. Cell phone use from balloons is discouraged because the overhead transmission hits a lot of cell towers at once putting a load on the system. |
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I am happy to have had a gentle ride on a beautiful day. The rest of the crew is milking out the remaining air from the envelope so it can be put in the stuff sack. |
| First timers get their initiation ceramony. |  |
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View of the mass acsention from our house. |
| The Smokey Bear balloon has become impaled on the KKOB radio tower. |  |
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Carol and I drove over for a closer look. After the radio station shut down the 50,000 watt transmitter, the 70 year old pilot and his 10 & 14 year old passengers have all crawled out of the gondola (the brown basket visible against the tower) and safely climbed down. |
| The tower is 640 feet tall. Note the light fixture at the top and the part of the balloon that had snagged on it. Scrolling down the picture, you can see two workmen trying to free the balloon. It took about half a day to disengage it and lower it to the ground. |  |